Historically, medical diagnostic images were recorded by exposing an imaging plate to a source of penetrating radiation. To view the image on the imaging plate, the imaging plate, or a recording of the image on the imaging plate, would have to be physically brought to the viewer. Many imaging systems now record images electronically, rather than by exposing an imaging plate. The imaging systems may be coupled to a digital imaging and archiving system so that the digital images recorded by the imaging systems may be transmitted electronically to remote locations for viewing. A radiological image viewing system is used at the remote location to convert the digital data into a viewable image. Additionally, radiological imaging workstations enable an operator to manipulate the images. Furthermore, radiological imaging workstations are multi-modal, thus allowing an operator to view and manipulate images from a number of different type imaging systems, such as Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging system.
To purchase a radiological imaging workstation, a customer may contact a supplier of radiological imaging workstations to request information regarding the supplier's radiological imaging workstations. Alternatively, a radiological imaging workstation supplier may contact a customer in hopes of generating sales of radiological imaging workstations. Both parties in each of these cases may consume significant amounts of time attempting to elicit basic information from the other. For example, it may take a radiological imaging workstation supplier a significant amount of time simply to establish the customer's basic radiological imaging workstation needs or desires. Additionally, a customer may expend significant amounts of time obtaining basic information about the radiological imaging workstations available from the supplier. Indeed, the customer may consume time receiving information from a supplier about radiological imaging workstations that are simply not suited for the customer's needs or desires.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved technique for providing a radiological imaging workstation customer with purchasing information regarding a supplier's radiological imaging workstations prior to contact between a sales representative of the supplier and the customer. There is a particular need for a system or method that provides a customer with information for a recommended radiological imaging workstation in response to a customer query designed to provide the supplier with some basic information about the customer's needs for a radiological imaging workstation.